Commercial lending

Bankruptcies reached levels not seen in a decade, distressed debt soared to almost $1 trillion and it may take years to repair the damage to airlines, restaurants and hotels. While 2020 may be over, the drama probably isn’t.

Win or lose, Citibank’s battle to recover half a billion dollars from an accidental payment is sure to prompt a review of internal controls in the industry and could have a lasting impact on the more than $1 trillion syndicated loan market.

The online lender, which raised $240 million, wants to take its artificial intelligence technology for evaluating borrowers to the next level and expand its partnerships with banks, its CEO says.

Investment firms and hedge funds are increasingly engineering bankruptcy loans and side deals to take control of Chapter 11 reorganizations from the outset, locking in rich rewards for themselves while potentially locking out rivals and lower-ranking creditors with little transparency. The trend is sure to speed up cases, but it also forces judges to make quick decisions that may shortchange some valid claims.

Promising vaccines may not reach the general public fast enough to save a number of struggling companies next year, and workout professionals and distressed investors are expecting smaller private companies will search for cash in 2021. They’re also anticipating that businesses of all sizes may struggle to adjust to changing consumer habits in a post-pandemic world.

The architects of two major loan deals featuring Black banks, one involving multiple lenders and a pro sports franchise and another backed by Citigroup, say more transactions like these are in the works.

A program that lets firms bundle Small Business Administration loans is on hold while Congress spars over a new budget. The impasse is causing headaches for banks that rely on loan sales for fee income.

A trial to get underway this week over one of the biggest banking errors in recent memory will be closely watched on Wall Street, and its outcome could have a significant impact on the industry.

Hospitality sector credits are coming out of forbearance just as coronavirus cases surge. Restructurings and charge-offs could mount unless vaccine distribution happens quickly enough to jump-start travel by mid-2021.

The move comes a day after the Federal Reserve had balked at the Treasury Department's demand that it return funds meant for pandemic relief that have so far gone unused.